Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has sought personal intervention of Union Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister Mansukh Mandaviya to ensure supply of fertilizers to the State as there has been a severe short supply of different fertilizers for the last three months.
In a letter to Mandaviya today, the Chief Minister thanked his department for the allocation of fertilizers in the monthly movement supply plans as per the requirement of the State and supply during the month of April but stated that there has been a severe short supply of different fertilizers during the current May, June & July.
“During current Kharif till date the State has received only 1,45,145 MT of urea against the allocation of 2,31,530 MT and agreed supply plan of 2,10,000 MT. Similarly during the period the State has received 97,763 MT of DAP against the allocation of 1,52,000 MT and agreed supply plan of 1,45,000 MT,” said Patnaik.
“Also 42,867 MT of MOP and 1,05,798 MT of NPKS has been supplied against the allocation of 67,200 MT and 1,68,400 MT and agreed supply plan of 60,000 MT and 1,42,000 MT respectively. Overall the supply of urea has been 62% against the allocation and 69% against the agreed supply plan. For other fertilizers it is also 60% to 74%,” he added.
The Chief Minister said that the farmers in the State have suffered severe crop loss due to recent past YAAS and several cyclonic storms during the previous years. Therefore to optimize their production the supply of the most critical input i.e. fertilizer should be as per requirement.
As mid-July to September is the peak consumption period for urea in the State and July to August is the peak period of demand for all other fertilizers, the short supply of fertilizers to the state at this juncture will adversely affect the agricultural production in the state and unnecessarily invite law and order situation in most of the districts, he added.
“I therefore request your personal intervention in the matter for supply of fertilizers to the state as per the monthly agreed supply plan including the backlog of the previous months for smooth distribution in the greater interest of the farmers,” said Patnaik.
